Vehicle structure.



A. J. ER'CKSON.y VEHICLE STRUCTURE. APPLICATION meu Nov. 3o. 1,914.

:Famed NOV. 30, i915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

11.1. EmcKsoN.

VEHICLLSTRUCTUR APPLlcATwH H1120 Nov. 3o. 1914.

' M A m6111611 Nov. 30,1915.

. l, 'gnam/kg@ @Haw/((9411.) l Q, o. 4 @MLS A. I. ERICKSON.

VEHICLE STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. i914.4 I ,Patented Nov.v 30, 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. J. ERlCKSON. VEHICLE STRUCTURE. APPLICATION m50 Nov. A3o. i914.

aened Nov. 30, MM5.

i SHEETS-SHEET 4,.

s .la .y

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T 0 aZZ'ww/m it' may concern provide removable means for convo ture of passenger oars into 'iiieegaea ordinary Cape Town' top or ou,

thereby to adapt such vehicles and winter uses.

isisr .and the channel molding talreii on Another object of my invention is to provide, in connection with a structure ot this character, a. continuous sectional niol secured along the edges of the walis of the car body, whereby to aciliil .te the operation 'of folding back the top and ador-f5.- ing convenient means for securing the lower edges of the curtains to the body. and still another object of my invention is prei i removable door extension framese haar. ,g means to secure the edges oi the Curtains thereto, whereby to make a ,veatlieiproo inclosure.

Other and further objects of Yfiy iiiveiif tion will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration oi' the Eollowing description when taken. in tion with the drawings wherein;

Figure l is a. side elevation of tary portion of an automobile bo( showing the .interior inelosed tains. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view tion of the top portion shovi'ii'ig J as it appears when the curtains ar^ Fig. 3 is a transversel section et the tion taken on line 3-3 of Fig.

' c if the aan *oorM .a similar sectional view taken on. line of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional viewtaken on line 5-5 of Fig. t2. F 6

is a sectional perspective view of fragnient oli the removable door ae. ig. i,

is a similar viev.T taken on line lf3-7 oi 2. Fig. S is an elevation of ir'agment the channel 'molding that extends' around x,of the body part. Fig. 9 is a .seetionalvvi through one of the sustaining st4 fs C mi.

fastened.' so

ily-liest Fig. 9. iffeo. elevation of the detachdoei' traine and jainlo. Fig. 13 :f i C l view taken on line lo. llt is an enlarged tai-:en on line i 'transverse sectional of Fig. le. Fig.

nient for the door latch. n of nieaiis for :tastenn 1 ig. l?. Fig'. 19 is enlarged view, partly in seotion oi the catch member, sioivn in Figs. i7 and i8. Fig. ZG is a sectional vi' of the edge oi' the curtain ang the nioldiiif" taken online 20-20 of F l showing lier bead at the edge oi the curtain to n wind proof oint.

in all vie are er :yeti to indicate similar parte.

:in eieinr ation which l have chosen for 'tl e of illustration QG is i f. automobile, 2l is the is the step, 23 and 521i 'uned to the body part ively. iis usual with 'acter the main doors the bod as and aiitoino.' iles of 23 and 24 do y'tend above the upper marginal l the body part shown cle'i wWith tops 28 of oh; :ie side curtains are lower marginal e id extend 'to the iiA the body part, where 'they are .f usual Carriage buty i Around ges of the doors ani?.

the body part a molding 39. n the body part 2O and the doors iaiid sections of the molding to permit the opening of 'end the molding verti as shown at 3W, on eaels ld malte substaii-VM 7 between the trarne id said molding. Li 28, is provided with 33 34a, as Fach ver le bow 34. is oi the caption that its lower -iat after that shown the doors.

canooy eievation of the parts' table frame and jaiiib nare a' hollow channel in Figs. 9, and l1.' The laterally projecting stud 35 is squared at its end, as at 36, and secured thereto is a nut 37. At proper intervals along the upper edge of the body 2() at the points whenl the supporting b ows are to be fixed, squared recesses 38 and 39 are made into the'body part and cut from the back of the molding 30, to receive the squared nut. The thumb nut 41 is screw threaded into the orifice 40, provided in the molding 30 in such manner as to press the nut 37 into the orifices 38 and 39 thereby to rigidly hold the bow 34 in vertical position. To move the bow 34 longitudinally of the body, when such movement is required, .the nut 41 is unscrewed, and the bow 3l is thereby pulled laterally so that the l nut 37 is withdrawn from the orifices 38 and 39 into the channel of the molding 30 in which it is free to be moved longitudinally for the purpose of moving the bows toward the back end ofthe vehicle when it is desider to fold the top. The legs 3232 of the bow 32 may also be fixed to the molding 30 in the manner just described.

Another' means of holding the vertical members 32 to 34 of the bows, 32 to 34 in` elusive, to the upper edge of the body part is shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 16 and this latter method of fastening the bows to the upper edge of the body part may be employed when the molding 30 is not used. It

'is'also a convenient manner of fastening the upper-door frame to the bottom portion of the door. Thelower end 33 'of the bow 33, may be secured to ay section 'of ver tically extending molding 42 which may be secured to the upper portion of the bow 33, as at 43. The lower end of the molding,`

42 rests upon the upper surface of the molding 30 as at 44. 1n the upper surface of the frame 20, is a vertically disposed socket 45, en-

larged and screw threaded, as at 4G, and provided with a square hole for receipt of the squared member 1T which is deflected laterally from the vertical member 42. Surrounding the round portion 47 of the member 33 is a nut 48 which is adapted for screw threaded engagement with the orifice 46 in the thimble 45. The shoulder 49 overlies the bore of the nut 48 and a similar shoulder 50 is provided at the other end of the nut on` the stem 33', so that when the nut 48 is screwedinto the orifice .46, the squared end 47 of the stem will be forced into 'the squared socket, by the operation of thenut, until the lower end of the member ,42 is brought into substantial contact with thev upper surface of themolding 30.

The vertical member 42 is provided with a vertical plate 51 which serves asa door jamb for'the door, and a similar plate 52, which extends laterally from the vertical jamb member 51 and which is a part of the member 53, is. secured to the vertical member,

as at 43, a hinge 51 permits the members'51 and 53 to be folded together when' not in use. The member 53 is also provided with a forwardly extending cope 54 which' pro jects over the joint formed by the door with the hinge member 55,which is a part of the jamb member The lower end of `the vertical member 57 is provided with a square stud 4T and a threaded nut 48.; adapted for a socket similar to the socket 45, provided inthe upper surface of the door 2 4.

`When the lower free ends of the members 5T are secured to "the doors 23 and 24, in

frame and the jamb part 52 when the door the manner described, and a pintle 66 unites the hinge members and 60, thereby joining the removable jamb members 51 and by hinge connection with the removable door frame 56,' the door may be freely 4opened and closed, the hinges and 56 being in the same vertical plane as the hinges for the main portions 23 and 24 of. the doors', as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The jamb memers 51 and 52 are also hinged together as at 51 to permit them to fold together.

A supplementary handle G2, for the door.

latch, may be provided near the lower end of the vertical member 57 of the door frame. ln Fig. 1G the interior ofthe body of the 'vehicle is shown, wherein the usual-"handle (33 is connected by a link G4 to a lever 65 projecting downwardly from the handle 6 2. So that when the door extension frame 56 door, the handle 62 may be employed and u sed from the outside of the housing in connection with or instead of the usual handle, connected to the lever G3, as at 67, uponthe inside of the door. edge of the weatherproof fabric 68, of the canopy 28, and longitudinally between the i said door jambs, is a strip 69,' fastened to 'the fabric 68, as at 70, and having its lower edge provided with clasp button studs 71, at

proper intervals, to engage coperating clasp members on curtains that may be secured in place by vthe clasps between the strip G9 andthe lower edge 72 of the fabric7 whereby to provide a wind and weather proof interlapped oint between the removable curtain and. the fixed part 69 of the top structure. This arrangement of the cur- -is mounted upon the body portion 24 of the Secured to the lower i messes teins is eleerly shown ss et 73 of Figs. l, 3

end 'l' The door jainb 'member is seeured I L, ,.1 1 to the sind ebric in seine manner, oy et ids or perioretions the edges 'of the f; aporopriete'curtains ,f also be secured to clasps or clips illusin Figs. l?, 18 and i9, tebrio 76 is provided e, .1 1 51g. r., trsted more wher-1^x with s L iste 77, having n cylineide1 Arough which s stem 79 gosses. M is provided withe nlnte sion, r-s shown in plan view in Fig. l?, and it will he observed that there curved 3 tion Si, on this plete, which is practically of the same contour es the 'v ed et intervals in the meldtensions 8l, 83 and 84, of i engage the overlying rims Vchannel 30 when the stem 9G degrees so that when the channel opene in ,the notches 82, and the adinelly of the channel y then be rotated onebition,.the projections S3 gege the members Sea :curtain smoothly in its revent rattling or' the ust. the ineldingl provide s ovv closet end-'sleeve 85, provided with e 8f3, pssingxinto the hollow .in .7 9,-1beingyieldingly pressed outwardly 'by theope.' 'compression spring 87. This rattling or noise.. Y To remove the eur-tains'it is only necessary vnieve the catch to s'posit'ion in the mold'- ing notch 82 is present'and turn y 'the .stern )Trl e. eus-"rter of e revolution by the y thumb, 88 when-the plete 80 may 'be removed for the molding and the curtain e e fred. "',ihe ou 2;, 93 and 9e on each side of sie removable. The curtains nd over the body part and the s` and when the doors are s will be tieired in the verhe hinges 55, 60 and 26, or

muy be. r n u, ure provided-with selvagge bezuiinv 9' 'o de of leather or other suitable rial, having s lip v96 to under-lie the Si" ge 30a oit the molding .30 to thereby protide wind proof joints between said curtains moldin ff. The beading is entered in the slot of the snlding by first 'placing they I 4tongue 9G in lthe slot -While the edge of the curtain is out turned and then pushing the clearly shown in v panels nia-y be provided in these curtains as usuel, without interfering with the vopere,-

d for summer use and when it is desirable i the bows 32, 33 and 34 may be slid in the molding until they have reached the proper resi` "tive positions to permit the depression of the top.

ld'hen the t il is loosened, withdrewing' the squared nut from the socket into the channel of the .molding 30, s bow 34 may be slid freely within the molding.

YWhile l have herein shown and described e single einbodl rent of rny invention 'for the purpose of? clear disclosure it is evident that consider le change in the configuration and )sit-ion of the" ports may be roede within the scope of the appended claims` -ls-ving described my invention, what l clairs is 2. The combination with an automobile v body having side doors, of :1` flexible :tolding top therefor, supports for seid top occupying' vertical positions when-the top is extended, u jmnb member secured to one of said supports and projecting therefrom across the doorway to the opposite side thereof, s folding door freine hinged to the projecting` end of said jzunb and secured to the door to nieve therewith, and e Side curtain having catches to engage seid folding door traine` 3. The combination with en automobile body having' side doors, ot u YFlexible toldinp; top therefor, supports for seid top occu pying vertical positions when the top is extended, n juinb member secured Yto. one of' said supports und". projecting" therefrom across the doorway to the opposite side thereof, e folding-door fruinecomprising twdf'pivoted members, one projecting end beirughing'e connected to the projecting end of said jzunb member and the other end secured to the door. to move therewith, and a side 'curtain detfxcjhablyl connected to scid door trarne.

4. ln e device oi the character described, s bow; s supporting ineens thereorfcomprising a stern having; an angular end, laterally deflected therefrom a' freely turningr threaded nut on' saild stein; means to prevent let the top down the vertical members ofl axial movement of the nutv on the Stein und zi screw vthreuded sooket.r to be carried by the body, having' un enlarged threaded part to receive the nut und asni'zlllor angular part to receive the free ungulm: end of the stern, to support the bow.

F. ln'a device ol the 4chili-noter described, an automobile body; :1 Channel molding secured thereto in combination with u curtain catch Comprising' a stein passing; through the cui-tuin; n plete on the end m fb@ Steyr`v adapted for insertion Within the molding Channel and springr pressed member to prevent loose loontiict between said catch and molding.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto set mV' hand n the presence of two subscribing' Witnesses.

` ALBIN J. ERICKSON. In the presence of- MARY F. ALLAN, Gno. T/MAY, Jr.' 

